St. Paul daily globe., 1887-05-09
DISCIPLESHIP.
Rev. Hall Urges His COngrega-
tion to Take Up the Cross.

IlOn 10 lahC Up TIC SfOSS.
''DiscipleShip" was the theme of Rev.
Mr.. Halls sermon in the First Free Bap-
tiSt church yesterday morning, and the
text, The disciple is not above his Mas
ter, nor the servant above his Lord. 1t
is enough for the disciple that he be as
his Master and the servant as his Lord"
Matthew ", 24-25.
MIR. Hall said: ''DiScipleShip is by no
means new TO the Christian religion.
Long before Christ came upon this earth
great men had their followers, and i'll
the realm of literature and of religion
men have ever been the disciples of
some one leader whose ideas they have
accepted and whose doctrines they
have believed. And yet diScipleShip
must find its chief eXcellency when
it is thus related to those who are the
followers of Jesus Christ. The greater
the parsonage the more honor in being
counted his disciple. The Lord Jesus
towers above his fellows, and among all
Of earth'S great men, not one can stand
beside Him and. WELD the influence eX-
erted by our Lord to-day. Others may
have as many followers, but they are
chiefly among the ignorant and dark
portions of the globe. but Christ wins
his conqueStS in those countries where
civilization makes its greatest strides,
and the most brilliant of earth'S SchOl
arS and statesmen gladly pay their hom
age to his superior greatness. 1t is 10
small favor to be ranked among His dis
cipleS. | have often thought that rare
and infinite value must have been
the privilege of those who were tie
first disciples of. our. Lord. TO have
been for dayS.ahd weeks and years in
tle Immediate presence of Jesus Christ,
to have lived with Him, and have en-
joyed His intimacy and affection. 1t is
true it was but family seen at the time,
and ii was not until after the reSurrec-
tion and ascension of our Lord that the
disciples had any proper conception of
the greatness and glory of Him whom
they had followed; but when, in after
years, they looked back at that time it
must have been as the heart often goes
back to some precious event i'll the days
gone by. But, beloved, herein lies the
great distinction between Jesus Christ
and all other of earth'S renowned ones
they pass away, but He remains. The
schools which many of them founded
have gone also; the systems of thought
or religion which they enunciated
have paled before the increasing
light of the ages, but the doctrine,
of JeSuS Christ are ever i'll advance.
To be His disciple is to know Him TO-
day; to love Him and enjoy His pres
ence and to receive his instruction.
What are the characteristics of true dis
cipleship? Esteem and affection for
Him whose disciples we are. The love
of some souls for their master is truly
beautiful. Have we given Jesus Christ
the first place? a true disciple will
ever be obedient to his Masters wishes.
What is the first qualification of a good
soldier? Obedience. And the second
qualification? Obedience. And the
third qualification? Obedience. So it
isswith the disciple of Jesus Christ. /
amSheartily sick of the great amount of
gush and can't of many professors of
religion to-day. How they can talk and
sing and pray, and they think they
know enough to run every church on
the globe, but approach them on the
genuine conSecratiOn to God and you
find they are headed in another direction.
Christ made three or four tests of disci-
pleShip: Cross bearing; love to the
brethren; continuance in we'll doing,
and fruitfulneSs. Let US honestly ap-
ply these to ourselves, and see whether
we have right to be numbered among
the disciples of the Lord. If we belong
there we ought to rejoice. Great is our
honor and most exalted our privileges.
By and by we shall see Him and receive
instructions from His lips, as did His
first disciples. Hundreds and thou
sands of persons to-day are taking their
places in the ranks of His followers. /
look upon you, my hearers, this morn
ing, with an ardent and intent look. /
would that l cCIld unfold to you the
worthiness of my Lord, and in the
words of one whom Christ blessed when
here upon earth, l earnestly ask, "Will
We also be His disciples?.'